Chronicles of a Montreal Tour Guide: The Mountain In The Middle
When I was 19 I waited tables at the depressing Montreal restaurant chain, Mikes, on the corner of Jean-Talon and Clark. As I walked by the condos that inevitably replaced the old diner last week, I thought about the patron who came in almost every other day, with a new fellow. She ordered the same items, sat at the same table, faced the same direction and after greeting me as if the first time I served her on her fourth visit, I became aware of what my role in our relationship was. The restaurant was her first date spot and I was her first date waiter. Wherever you are, you’re welcome. On an online dating site the other night a chap asked me what I [...]
Chronicles of a Montreal Tour Guide: The All Mighty Montreal Bagel
When I travel, like many who belong to my young urban and inquisitive generation, I am on the quest for the “authentic” local experience. The wine bar in the small alleyway in Rome where no one speaks English or the ceviche shack in Tulum decked out with plastic Corona-sponsored tables and stray cats salivating under their overflowing of leche de tigre shelters. I remember until today, the 4:00am soup bar in Istanbul that the Kurdish group I befriended during my stay took me to that had me asking myself why I never considered soup a great drunk food. Many cities have their iconic must-try dishes and the locals’ favorite place to get them. Philadelphia has its Cheesesteak, Chicago its deep-dish pizza and Miami its Cuban [...]
Chronicles of a Montreal Tour Guide: Parc-Ex
As a born and bred Montrealer I have the impression that I understand the city’s ins and outs. With a license to guide and eight months of studying the history, culture, the social fabric of the different boroughs, it’s artistic value and economics under my belt, one then truly becomes a spokesperson of the town. At the end of the day however, a metropolis of four million people evolves faster than one can keep up with and like many other large urban centers, the local can live their entire life without needing to step out of their arrondissement, borough or district. I make the point, and not only for work, to do so, without ever truly leaving my comfort zone. Each has its own characteristics, [...]